Treatment for the precipitation of ore values from the effluent waters of ore crushing and concentrating plants.



v UNITED STATEd ANDREW Gannon menus, or NELSON, BRITISH eonunznm, oeivene.

I TREATMENT FOR THE IRECIPITATION 0F ORE VALUES FROM THE EEFLUENI OF ORE CBUSHING AND CONOENTR-ATING PLANTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. P

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, Annnnw GORDON Fnm'ou, citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Nelson, in the Provinceof British Columbia, Canada, have invented a new and useful Treatment for the Precipitation of Ore Values from the Ellluent Waters of Ore Crushing and Concentrating Plants, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for the recovery of fine ore values, which, under a Wet crushing treatment of any kind, are car. ried away in suspension in the Water and slime.

In the Wet crushing treatment the pulp or pulverized ore from stamps or rolls is carriedby the Water through the various processes devised for concentrating the ore and this water frequently carries high values in hue-ore matter held in suspension, which particles are so fine that they take a long time to settle by gravitation. In the case of precious metals, the final recovery may be effected by chlorination or by cyaniding but in the application of these processes the Water requires to stand for a considerable time in order that it may concentrate by settlement before the treatment by chlorine tion or cyaniding can be economically applied. In the case of the baser metals, zinc, lead, copper, etc., the Waste is allowed to take place as the cost of recovery exceeds the saving effected.

It is to hasten the settlement of the ore values carlied in this Water that my invention has been devised.

The water that drains "from the tailings is delivered, as at present, Where any attempt is made to recover the values from this Water into a series of settling tanks but as the work of settling, occupies a much sl'iorter length of time, the tanks are relatively smaller. Atthe delivery of this Water to the tanks, 1 add to it very Weak solution of gelatin or common glue and Where the ore itself does not contain any soluble sulfates, Ihdd to the solution of gelatin a small proportion of any metallic sulfate.

The solution, which I have found to give satisfactory results, consists of one part-'by Weight of ordinary glue in two hundred and fifty parts of Water and, Where necessary, one part of sulfate of zinc, iron, copper or other suitable metallic sulfate and then dilute this to one-tenth stren th with addi- Application filed. November 18, 1911. Serial No. 661,006.

tional Water makinga mixed solution of in two thousand five hundred. One gallon of this added -to seventeen gallons of the diluent Water from a gold, copper, is other ore crushin mill and gently s t for a few seconds effects the rapid precipitation of the materials hold in suspension. The time required to effect complete settle ment in a tank containing tons of elilucut will not exceed more than five minutes. i urthermore, and this forms an inportante feature of the invention, the materialso settled is in a condition more favorable to subsequent treatment by chlorination cyaniding, Where such is to be used.

The principle of the treatment lies the fact that each particle becomes coated with an exceedingly thin film of a colloid'suhstance consisting; of an insoluble combination of the metallic salt and the gelatin and the particles so coated, losing their ailinity for the Water, sink rapidly to the hottom of the containing vessel.

Although the coating of ca h pa le oi ore matter is insoluble in watoi', for it does a colloid coating, it is penetraole hy osmosis and Where chlorination. or cyaniding is required in subsequent treatment, the chlorin in the one case and the c lid of potassium in the other will act upon the metals by endosmosis much more favorably than it does when these materials are asso' ciated with water in solution as is the case when the colloid coating, and again the dis solved metal escapes by exmosis quickly into the solution.

Having now particularly described vention and the manner of its applic l hereby declare that What 1 claim as new a nd desire to be protected. in by Letters Pa eat, is:

1. The process of precipitating solids in liquids which consists in adding to ater containing solids in suspension, a dilute solution of gelatin to form a colloid film over the suspended particles.

Wikfifl co'nitnining the mineral matters in suspension one part of :1 mixed solution of gehi'il'l and a sulfate 01 a metal in the propmrtian of one part 01 ge letin and sulfate in mm; of water, and then stirring the a'ntially as specified.

'estu'nony whereof I have signed my I name (0 this specification in the presence 1,? the two subscribing Witnesses.

ANDREW GORDON FRENCIi-L YVii'nesses S, S. JARVIS,

W. F. TEETZEL, 

